Dynamics of Romantic Love Attachment, Caregiving, and Sex

A theoretically and empirically rich exploration of universal questions, this book examines the interplay of three distinct behavioral systems involved in romantic love. Leading attachment researchers are joined by proponents of other perspectives, including interdependence theory and self-expansion theory, to review the current state of knowledge in the field. Presented are compelling new studies that address intimacy, jealousy, self-disclosure, sexual behavior, partner violence, and other processes in both satisfying and dysfunctional relationships. Special topics include gender differences in attachment as well as attachment dynamics within same-sex couples.

Mario Mikulincer, PhD, obtained his doctorate in psychology from Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel, in 1985, and has been Professor of Psychology there since 1992. He has published more than 220 articles and book chapters and one book, Human Learned Helplessness: A Coping Perspective (1994). Dr. Mikulincer's research interests include attachment styles in adulthood, terror management theory, personality processes in interpersonal relationships, evolutionary psychology, and trauma and posttraumatic processes. He currently serves on the editorial boards of several journals and as associate editor of Personal Relationships and the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. In 2004 he received the EMET Prize in Social Science, sponsored by the A. M. N. Foundation for the Advancement of Science, Art, and Culture in Israel, and awarded by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Gail S. Goodman, PhD, obtained her doctorate in developmental psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1977, and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Denver and the UniversitT RenT Descartes in Paris, France. She is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Public Policy Research at the University of California, Davis, and Professor of Forensic Psychology at the University of Oslo, Norway. Her research focuses on memory development, including attachment and memory, and forensic developmental psychology. Dr. Goodman has served as president of two divisions (Division 37, Child, Youth, and Family Services; and Division 41, Psychology and Law) and one section (Child Maltreatment, in Division 37) of the American Psychological Association. She has received many awards for her research, including two Distinguished Contributions awards in 2005 from the American Psychological Association.